Solar Power For Houses To Be Encouraged

With the problems that we are encountering with fuel consumption and global warming, the best possible course for us to take would be sustainable source of power. We all know that solar power is one of the most feasible sources of energy and perhaps this is would be what the future holds for us. The Japanese government seems to think along the same lines.

Based on a report by Reuters:

The Japanese government will come up with measures on Tuesday to promote the household use of solar power systems by introducing subsidies and tax breaks from next year, the Nikkei financial daily reported on Sunday.

The paper said the steps, following an environment initiative announced earlier by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, include halving the cost of buying solar power systems in Japan, home to major solar component makers.

These include Sharp Corp, Kyocera Corp and Sanyo Electric Co.

This is really a good move by the government as the more people make use of solar power, less people will be using conventional power sources. I am sure that many of us would love to go solar but the costs of converting to this source are very high. But since the government is giving subsidies, I suppose that more people will be able to afford solar power.

Perhaps other countries in the West should study this example. It is never too early to start making use of more sustainable sources of power.

Photo courtesy of Rich_Lem

The Kasumigaseki Building

We all know that Japan is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world – if not the most prone. As such, as much as Japan has to offer, one thing that would be sorely missing in its landscape are the high rise buildings that can be found in all of the world’s major cities. This is not to say that the Japanese have not tried their best in overcoming what nature has set for them. After all, the Japanese are not known for their immense capability to use technology for their benefit for nothing.

That is why as early as the 1960s, they started building their first ever high rise edifice. The Kasumigaseki Building is Japan’s first skyscraper. The construction was started in 1965 and finished 3 years later, in 1968. This year, they are celebrating its 40th year in existence – and rightly so. Located right smack in the middle of Tokyo, this skyscraper is the first Japanese building to exceed 100 meters. It has a total of 26 stories and currently houses most of the country’s cabinet offices.

As a matter of fact, the Kasumigaseki Building held the distinction of being the nation’s tallest building for only several years – till 1970. In this year, the World Trade Center Building was built, surpassing the milestone that the Kasumigaseki Building had set. One thing cannot be denied, however. The Kasumigaseki Building showcases the fighting spirit of the Japanese – that they could work with what they have and overcome limitations that may seem daunting at first.

Japanese Gov’t urges support for suicide victims

One of the most disturbing and definitely saddest facts about Japan is its high suicide rate. Many experts give different views about this phenomenon, but personally, whatever the reasons are, the alarmingly high number of lives lost in the country is very alarming and dampens Japan’s national spirit.

Today the Japanese government issued a statement about this subject, urging that there is a need to take on the issue as a society especially with the number of suicides exceeding 300,000 again for the ninth straight year. The World Health Organization actually ranks Japan as the country with the ninth highest number of suicide victims.

The announcement is part of the first counter suicide white paper that has been released this year. The governement is calling for more care for suicide survivors and support for the families who lost loved ones through suicide.

In its first “counter-suicide white paper” for 2007, the government recognized suicide as a death of a person driven to desperation and someone who is at the end of their rope and said it is necessary to provide care to survivors of suicide attempts as well as the bereaved families of those who have killed themselves. The white paper reflects the government’s concerns over the findings of the World Health Organization, which ranked Japan as the ninth highest in the world for the number of suicide victims per 100,000 persons.

Stricter Gun-Control Guidelines

Japan is famous for being a very safe place with its crime-free streets. Despite the presence of the infamous yakuza, which is responsible for organized crime in the country, ordinary Japanese citizens as well as foreign visitors used to enjoy a safe and quiet existence undisturbed by criminals. However the recent spate of gangster shootings which lead to the death of the beloved Mayor of Nagasaki, Itcho Ito, has pushed Japan to go for stricter gun-control guidelines.

According to the deputy chief cabinet secretary, Hakubun Shimomura, most of the guns that were confiscated were foreign made. Because of this foreign aircraft and ships will be required to report more detailed information regarding their cargo, passengers, and crew to the Japanese customs in hopes of decreasing the amount of smuggled guns into the country. In case any suspicious cargo are found customs are also required to carry out inspections as needed.

Sanctions Against North Korea Extended

Japan has announced its intent to extend its sanctions against North Korea for another six months due to North Korea’s “insincere efforts to solve the abduction issue”. The abduction issue mentioned here refers to the 17 Japanese kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea acknowledged the kidnapping of 13 of the Japanese citizens and returned 5 of the people in 2002 while claiming that the rest were dead. Japan wants North Korea to account for the 4 missing people as well as address its programs for disarmament.

So far the sanctions, which includes a ban on imports from North Korea, a ban on the entry of North Korean ships to Japanese ports, and a ban of entry of North Korean officials on Japanese soil, seems to have little effect on North Korea’s efforts towards the resolution of the abduction and disarmament issues.